Skip to Navigation
University of Pittsburgh
Print This Page Print this pages

January 21, 1999

Pitt found guilty in reverse discrimination case

A U.S. District Court jury last month found Pitt guilty of reverse discrimination for denying a male faculty member tenure.

The jury ordered the University to pay John N. Chiasson $350,000 in compensatory damages. Pitt also reached a confidential agreement with Chiasson to settle his remaining claims for reinstatement and punitive damages.

Chiasson, formerly an assistant professor of electrical engineering, sued Pitt in 1995, the year after he was denied tenure.

He charged that Pitt discriminated against him because he is a man and a native-born U.S. citizen.

Chiasson claimed that a Lebanese professor who initially was denied tenure received it after being given a second chance the following year — an opportunity not given to Chiasson. Chiasson also said a female colleague in his department, Dorothy E. Setliff, was given tenure in 1995 despite having fewer publications and teaching awards than did Chiasson.

Chiasson was hired in 1988 as an assistant professor and left Pitt in 1995.


Leave a Reply